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emlickliter's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward and Marjorie Flack – A sweet Easter bunny story to add to your holiday pile! Happy Reading!
manwithanagenda's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
fireside_reads's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
dreamybee's review
5.0
This was one of my favorite books as a child. I'm not sure why, exactly; but reading it now, I am touched by the little country bunny who is raising her (21) children all by herself and is tasked with the enormous and very important job of delivering all of the Easter eggs all around the world when the previous Easter Bunny falls ill. This is a difficult task, and her last delivery is a very difficult one and she is afraid she will fail the little boy who is looking forward to her visit. In the end, her strength, faith, wisdom, and kindness and are rewarded.
beecheralyson's review
4.0
It is interesting to read this book just from the perspective of watching how picture books have evolved over time. This 1938 classic tale of a female country bunny who wants to be one of the 5 Easter Bunnies is actually a bit ahead of it's time when you read through the whole story.
incrediblemelk's review
5.0
I had completely forgotten about this until Andrew McDonald mentioned it tonight, but it was one of the most cherished books of my childhood.
I loved how resourceful the mother bunny was, and how she raised her children to find their talents and contribute to the family and household. And I loved the idea of a bunny society. I was really into anthropomorphic woodland creatures as a kid – what can I say? [a:Beatrix Potter|11593|Beatrix Potter|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1201022492p2/11593.jpg] got me early. And now I remember how lovely the eggs were in Marjorie Flack's beautiful illustrations, all candy-coloured like sugared almonds.
But one thing I didn't realise until tonight was how radically feminist and anti-racist the book was, which is extraordinary considering it was written in 1939. This stuff is important: [a:Garth Williams|30916|Garth Williams|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1229211360p2/30916.jpg]' 1958 book [b:The Rabbits' Wedding|906544|The Rabbits' Wedding|Garth Williams|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348273493s/906544.jpg|891689] – which I ADORED as a kid – was banned from the Alabama state library system because it was perceived to be about interracial marriage.
As a kid, I understood the class issues to do with 'city' and 'country' (I had read Aesop's fable about the city mouse and the country mouse), and the division between 'pet bunny' and 'wild bunny' (I had read [b:The Velveteen Rabbit|144974|The Velveteen Rabbit|Margery Williams|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347748913s/144974.jpg|1602074]) which, let's face it, are basically like 'house slave' and 'field slave' (I would go on to read [b:Watership Down|76620|Watership Down|Richard Adams|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353615493s/76620.jpg|1357456] in grade four) but hadn't thought of the Country Bunny as a black woman.
But the book is explicit about her having "brown skin" and being laughed at by "all the big white bunnies who lived in fine houses, and the Jack Rabbits with long legs", who say, "What did we tell you? Only a country rabbit would go and have all those babies. Now take care of them and leave Easter eggs to great big men bunnies like us." I mean, that's basically INTERNET COMMENTS SECTIONS. That's why it's especially triumphant that she succeeds - with the help of her babies.
I loved how resourceful the mother bunny was, and how she raised her children to find their talents and contribute to the family and household. And I loved the idea of a bunny society. I was really into anthropomorphic woodland creatures as a kid – what can I say? [a:Beatrix Potter|11593|Beatrix Potter|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1201022492p2/11593.jpg] got me early. And now I remember how lovely the eggs were in Marjorie Flack's beautiful illustrations, all candy-coloured like sugared almonds.
But one thing I didn't realise until tonight was how radically feminist and anti-racist the book was, which is extraordinary considering it was written in 1939. This stuff is important: [a:Garth Williams|30916|Garth Williams|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1229211360p2/30916.jpg]' 1958 book [b:The Rabbits' Wedding|906544|The Rabbits' Wedding|Garth Williams|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348273493s/906544.jpg|891689] – which I ADORED as a kid – was banned from the Alabama state library system because it was perceived to be about interracial marriage.
As a kid, I understood the class issues to do with 'city' and 'country' (I had read Aesop's fable about the city mouse and the country mouse), and the division between 'pet bunny' and 'wild bunny' (I had read [b:The Velveteen Rabbit|144974|The Velveteen Rabbit|Margery Williams|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347748913s/144974.jpg|1602074]) which, let's face it, are basically like 'house slave' and 'field slave' (I would go on to read [b:Watership Down|76620|Watership Down|Richard Adams|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353615493s/76620.jpg|1357456] in grade four) but hadn't thought of the Country Bunny as a black woman.
But the book is explicit about her having "brown skin" and being laughed at by "all the big white bunnies who lived in fine houses, and the Jack Rabbits with long legs", who say, "What did we tell you? Only a country rabbit would go and have all those babies. Now take care of them and leave Easter eggs to great big men bunnies like us." I mean, that's basically INTERNET COMMENTS SECTIONS. That's why it's especially triumphant that she succeeds - with the help of her babies.
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